


The Man who Came Too Late

by thisisashittyusername



Category: Noli Me Tangere & Related Works - José Rizal
Genre: 505 ARCTIC MONKEYS, BASED ON LYRICS FROM 505, BY ARCTIC MONKEYS, I WILL NEVER GET TIRED OF THAT DAMN BOAT SCENE, LISTEN TO THE DAMN SONG, M/M, PERO DEAD GUY, REQUITED FEELS, SO, TITLE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SONG OKAY, ayoko na, character deaaathh, character delusion??, elibarra - Freeform, go, not really - Freeform, ouchies, punyeta mo elias i love u so much, puro au ginagawa ko pero namiss ko yung orig
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-14
Updated: 2015-04-14
Packaged: 2018-03-22 20:20:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3742351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisisashittyusername/pseuds/thisisashittyusername





	The Man who Came Too Late

  
  
  
[But I crumble completely when you cry]

 

 

> “You love this country because your father had taught you to. You love it because it’s made you happy- with your family, your friends, and your wealth. But the moment it lets you down- the moment you are shown the face you were not raised to see- you will forget all of your father’s teachings.”
> 
> “You will condemn this land,” Elias stares at Ibarra seriously. It hurt him to say the words in such finality, but it was true. Ginoong Ibarra could’ve been happy somewhere else. “And to condemn your own country is the worst fate to be had.”
> 
> “Is that what you think of me?” He sees the guilt, the agony, and the hate burn bright in Crisostomo’s eyes. He speaks lowly. “You speak so wrongly of me, my friend.”
> 
> Elias sighs. He sighs for this ruined man, for the softness of his eyes that have hardened because of everything that’s happened in the past few weeks.
> 
>  
> 
> All at once, it is gone. The patrol has found them.
> 
> The emotion in his eyes morph to worry. To fear.
> 
>  
> 
> _Is that what rules you now?_
> 
> _Your anger? Your fear?_
> 
> Crisostomo. Crisostomo, smiling. Laughing.
> 
>  
> 
> _And you were so beautiful…_
> 
>  
> 
> He didn’t have to come back.
> 
> He shouldn’t have.

 

[It seems like once again, you’ve had to greet me with goodbye]

 

 

> “I must to go.” Elias says, standing up, pulling his shirt over his head.
> 
> “No!” Ginoong Ibarra pulls him down. “No, we must fight them!”
> 
>  
> 
> _We must fight them, you say?_
> 
> Elias knows Ginoong Ibarra is too intelligent to overlook the fact that they’re unarmed. Why he said something so stupid, he does not know.
> 
> Elias looks at him. Ever the wide-eyed idealist, even now, Crisostomo was. And when he sees how he looks at him, he starts to understand.
> 
>  
> 
> After all, he’s been in love once. And love made you do stupid things.
> 
>  
> 
> He wants to stay. He wants to stay with Ginoong Ibarra and be happy with him, too.
> 
> But God demanded where he gave.
> 
>  
> 
> He smiles. He doesn’t want to leave, without Crisostomo and without a semblance of happiness.
> 
> He might as well lie to himself. He might as well lie to Crisostomo, too- make him believe this was all for a cause.
> 
> But by the way Crisostomo stared at him, he knew that the cause would join him in his death.
> 
>  
> 
> This was the end.

 

[I’m always just about to go and spoil a little surprise]

 

 

> “Elias-” the man starts again, but he wants nothing of it. Instead, he does what he’s always wanted to, maybe what Ginoong Ibarra was always wanted too, but was afraid to do as well-
> 
> He holds his hand.
> 
>  
> 
> Elias wants to laugh.
> 
> To think that he’s been so in love with this man, only for this man to let him know just when he’s about to die. Crisostomo always did come in too late.
> 
> And all those tossed dreams resurface- now, when it hurt too much to think about.
> 
>  
> 
> Enamored by the moment, Crisostomo accepts how Elias looks at him then. He accepts what is to come.
> 
> He blinks the tears away. He squeezes his hand.
> 
>  
> 
> That is all they need to know.

 

[-take my hands off of your eyes too soon]

 

 

> The cold pricks his skin, but the water smooth against his agile body.
> 
> This is how he thrived- known as ‘The Piloto’. This was where he was in his element.
> 
>  
> 
> Even as he knows he’d die soon, he puts on a show. Graceful movements below the surface, dodging the bullets that shot for him. He twists, he turns, and all he can see is the azure of the space around him.
> 
> He swims in the elegance he makes despite the ruthlessness of their intent to kill.
> 
>  
> 
> It is a beautiful performance, yet no one seems to watch. He does not care, though, as he sees he is almost near shore.
> 
>  
> 
> _Yes, yes, I will be saved,_ _there will be no need for bloodshed today-_
> 
> _Crisostomo_ , is what he thinks first, because maybe this is God’s reward for all the tragedies he’s experienced- those beautiful brown eyes greeting him again, maybe “Elias!” as he tackles him for an embrace, or maybe silent and yearning, the silence saying everything they needed to understand- but he does not care, _he doesn’t care, escape is so close now- maybe God gave him another chance_ -
> 
>  
> 
> But then the cool blue water is wisped away, and the color changes until all he sees is red.
> 
> Faintly, he acknowledges the pain in his shoulder. Another by his spleen.
> 
>  
> 
> He reaches the shore. Willing himself to live, he crawls into the safety of the trees. He leans against a rather thick tree trunk and waits.
> 
> Waits for someone.
> 
>  
> 
> In his delirium, all he sees are brown eyes. Beautiful, brown eyes- expressive and wild. And warm beds. Warm beds sounded really great. It was so cold, anyway, and he loved to sleep, especially now he felt so tired-
> 
> Maybe Crisostomo would tend to his wounds in his house- ah no, the house is gone- in their hut then? And Elias loves how he thinks it is _their_ hut. Maybe it could be, if he was strong enough to stand and go there, right now… Maybe even cook him some warm tinola…
> 
> And maybe he can show Crisostomo more of those bamboo shoots he loved using for his experiments. He seemed so interested, and if that bamboo was the reason he smiled so bright, Elias would grow bamboos for life.
> 
>  
> 
> The cold is getting to him. He huffs away, feeling the heat leave him for every breath he took.
> 
>  
> 
> That is all he can do now. Wait.
> 
> And he does.
> 
> He waits.
> 
>  
> 
> He waits for someone- someone who always seemed to come too late.


End file.
